After [A Journey of the Twins Novel]

by Janet Durbin

  "One never knows. The bond between twins has never fully been understood."

  "I wonder if that's how I know he's still alive, our bond as twins.” Shyanne rose and checked the damp things again. This time they were dry. She folded everything and placed the clothes in the pack, then went to get the waterskins. They were lying next to the stream where she had left them, filled. The straps went over her shoulder and she positioned them so they rested comfortably. Scooping up the folded blanket and pack, she and the cat started toward the camp.

  "This stuff sure is heavy,” she said to Drizzle as they walked. “Sure would be nice if I had help carrying it."

  "I'm a hunter—not a pack animal,” Drizzle responded.

  Shyanne smiled. Good ol’ Drizzle. Never changes.

  They heard voices coming from somewhere close as the clearing for the camp came into sight. They had not emerged from the woods yet and dropped to the ground quickly just before several people on horseback rode into view.

  * * * *

  Drayco went in and out of consciousness due to his beaten and battered body and the intense pain from lack of drinking blood. He felt so old. His head swung with every motion of the horse's gait. When the motion stopped, he turned his head to see why. The small effort it took left him exhausted. A clearing with a run down building in its center was in front of them.

  Moss looked at Brom. “What do you think? Do you think it's occupied?"

  "Won't know till we check it out, will we?"

  They moved into the clearing. The return of the swaying motion had Drayco wishing his journey would end—soon—one way or another. The trio pulled even with the building. Moss jumped off, his sword out as he landed, and ran up to one side of the doorway. With his back against the wall, he cautiously looked inside, then ducked back again, reminding Drayco of the old time detective movies he used to watch on late night TV. In a flash, Moss disappeared inside. He came out a few seconds later with something in his hand.

  "Someone's staying here, all right. All kinds of stuff lay'n around inside, and a horse is housed in the back.” He paused and gave Brom a slight smile. “And I found this.” He held up a sword, the figure of a crouching puma with its teeth bared as its handle.

  "That's hers! I'd know that blade anywhere!” Brom focused on his bandaged arm, then on Moss.

  The burly man stood tall in the stirrups and looked around the clearing. Seeing no one, he got off his animal and led it into the building. “Get your horse inside, quick. I want to surprise her when she comes back."

  Drayco felt his horse pulled into the building. Once inside, the bonds holding him to the animal were cut. He dropped to the ground like a lead weight. The pain caused from the hard landing ravaged his body more than ever. He lay where he fell, unable to move, grimacing.

  "Stash them animals with the other one,” Brom said as he inspected the items in the room. “We need to get him out of the way, too.” He walked over and kicked Drayco in the side, causing the dark man to draw himself into a ball.

  Moss led the horses to the back room. He noticed the girl's horse acted somewhat strange and held its distance from him while he was there. When he came back to the main room, he watched as Brom grabbed the captive forcefully by the front of his shirt and dragged him to the far corner. He threw him into it, causing the dark man's head to slam back hard into the wall.

  The burly man stood over him with his hands on his hips and smiled. “When that girlie returns, we're gonna have a bit of fun with her. I want to remind her of her folly before we take her to the Boss."

  Drayco managed to blink the white spots caused by hitting his head away before the world of darkness settled in. The words spoken by his captor came out with such sliminess that an ugly picture forced its way into his mind. He hated this man more than ever and vowed he would kill him without an ounce of mercy when the chance arose.

  "Who is this boss you talk about? What does he want with the woman?"

  "What difference does it make? She somethin’ important to you?” The slimy smile never left his face.

  Drayco held his tongue, glaring at the burly man that towered above him.

  "You do look a lot like her,” Moss added. “I'll bet you two are related somehow. That's why you're so interested in her. It makes sense."

  "Quit with all the chattering. How're we gonna surprise her with all this noise going on?” Brom growled, moving toward the doorway that led outside.

  "We'll never be able to surprise her with you yelling like that,” Moss whispered under his breath.

  The two men took up positions on either side of the door and waited.

  Drayco leaned his head forward, resting his chin on his chest; thinking. What does this boss person want with my sister ... and how much does he know about her?

  These questions would have to wait. He needed to concentrate on finding a way to warn his sister about what awaited her first.

  * * * *

  Shyanne and Drizzle watched as the shifty-eyed man went into the building and came out again with her sword held high.

  "Damn.” She had left the blade in the building because Drizzle was with her, and nothing would mess with her when that cat was around. “How stupid can I be?” The only weapon with her now was her boot knife. It would be ineffective against their swords. Moreover, Drizzle could only do so much against two well-armed men. Shyanne watched as the horses were led into the building. The last animal had someone draped over its back.

  "That's Drayco!” she hissed. “What have those things done to him?” She almost gave away her position at the shock of seeing her brother for the first time in so many years. “He looks like he's in bad shape. Drizzle, we have to help him."

  "Those are the men from the inn, aren't they?"

  "Yeah."

  "If we're going to help him, we have to do it fast. He doesn't look like he'll make it to morning. Do you have a plan?"

  "No. But I'll think of one as we go."

  Shyanne took the pack, blanket, and waterskins and hid them under some bushes. If these men went investigating, she did not want them to discover her things and know that she was there.

  The woman and cat crept through the woods until they were on the opposite wall from the opening. Keeping low to the ground, they made a dash for the building. Once they reached it, they stopped and listened. No sounds of alarm filled the air. Shyanne hugged the wall as she slid around toward a hole she noticed while circling. She peeked in quickly. The horses were on the other side. Two animals were biting at their bits. Their heads hung low and sweat ran from under their saddle pads.

  Just like them to not care about their animals.

  As decided before they separated, Drizzle made his way around the building close to where the men were hiding. He crouched and waited for her signal. The cat wasn't sure what it would be, but knew it would come.

  The hole was not very big. Nevertheless, she knew she could make it through due to her smaller size. She crawled in with the animals. Jack pushed against her with his head and whinnied. She rubbed his nose to quiet him.

  "What was that?” One of the men looked in the direction of the horses.

  Shyanne flattened herself against the wall as best she could and prayed they would not come investigate.

  "It's just the horses. Pay attention.” Both men turned back to the entrance and resumed their watch for her.

  With relief, she peered in Drayco's direction. His head leaned back against the wall; his eyes were closed. One of his eyes was purple and badly swollen. His lip was split near the corner; dried blood crusted his chin. He seemed so pale. Her blood boiled at the sight of the beating he had endured. She wanted to reassure him, to let him know she was there, but couldn't chance it. She was trying to think of her next move when a devilish plan came to her.

  I hope Drizzle knows what to do when the commotion starts.

  Shyanne hoped Drayco would be safe during the melee that was about to occur. He was in the far corner away from the other men
, which helped her with her decision. She reached up and grabbed Jack's halter. With her free arm, she started to shout and wave it wildly. The other horses were so startled by the sudden motion that they bolted from the room. The men by the doorway that led outside were equally as startled. They recovered quickly, though, and threw themselves out of harm's way. Or so they thought.

  The horses started for the only exit to the outside world, the door where the men once stood. The animals had almost reached it when Drizzle blocked their way. He let out with a deep growl, followed by a loud roar. The sight of the snarling humecat was too much for them. Their eyes rolled back until only the whites showed and they started to buck and rear in any direction they could, except the one where the big cat was.

  The two men never had a chance. Shyanne turned her head away, unable to watch as they were kicked and stomped several times. Unfortunately, she could still hear their bones breaking. Screams bounced off the walls, then only moans when the men were unable to scream anymore.

  Drizzle waited until he knew the men could not get up before herding the horses into the back room again. The cat stayed by the opening between the rooms. His presence prevented the horses from stampeding through the main room and hurting Shyanne or Drayco.

  Shyanne waited with Jack until the animals were in the farthest corner, trembling with fear, before she checked on the two men and Drayco. Her boot knife appeared; it sliced through the bonds holding her brother with ease.

  "Are they dead?” he asked, barely able to speak.

  "No. But they aren't far from it."

  Putting the knife away, she grabbed his ice cold hands and started to rub them. Her brother winced when the pinpricks of returning circulation grew in intensity. The hands remained as pale as the rest of him even after warmth had settled in. She poured a small amount of water into a cup.

  "Here, drink this."

  He tried to hold the cup, but his hands shook uncontrollably. Shyanne took it from him and gently poured a small amount into his mouth. After a couple of swallows, he motioned for her to stop.

  "The water is helping, but I need something else to get my strength back."

  "Is it anything I can get? Bread, cheese?"

  "No,” he said in a matter of fact tone. “I need blood. It is the only thing that can help me at this point."

  Using the wall as a support, Drayco struggled to his feet. He stumbled to the burly man's side, his weak and battered body fighting him the whole way. Brom lay sprawled to the left of the door, moaning. Judging from the odd angle of his arms, both were broken. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

  "What have you done? Why can't I move my legs?"

  "My guess would be that your back is broken,” Drayco said calmly. “And I didn't do anything. The horses did.” Shyanne walked up behind her brother.

  "You! I should have known you were behind this!” He started to cough. Blood sprayed outward like a fan. He was bleeding internally.

  Moss started to whimper. Shyanne went to check on him. He screamed with pain when he tried to move. “My legs! My legs!” Blood spattered into the air with each word. “Aaahh ... my chest, it hurts so bad!” Tears mingled with the blood on his face.

  "If he can, I want him to watch what I'm going to do.” Drayco knelt beside the burly man.

  Shyanne knelt beside Moss. He looked into her eyes. He was in a lot of pain, but he obviously knew what was going on. “Don't move. You'll only make the pain worse if you do.” She placed her hands on either side of his head and forced him to look toward her brother. She hung her own head low, unable to watch what was about to occur. It had been a long time since she had seen this side of her twin; the memories it brought back were frightening.

  "I need information,” Drayco said, “and you have it. I want to know who this Boss is and what he wants with my sister."

  "I knew it! I knew you two were related! You'll get nothin’ out of me!"

  "Oh, I think I can help you change your mind.” Drayco gave one of the broken arms a wicked twist.

  The punished man emitted a blood-curdling scream, followed by laughter. He looked at his tormentor with a crazy glaze in his eyes, and repeated, “You won't get nothin’ out of me ... no matter what you do!” He spat blood at Drayco, missing him by a mile.

  "I guess since you won't cooperate with me, there's no further use for you."

  "What does that mean? What are you going to do?” A glint of fear blended in with the crazy look. “You can't kill me. If you do, you won't get the information you want!"

  "You're not going to help me anyways, so what difference does it make?” Drayco grabbed Brom by the hair and pulled his head abruptly to the side. The dark man sank his teeth into the exposed neck. He ripped a chunk of flesh out and started to drink the life juices pumping from the wound. Brom tried to pull his head away. The condition of his body prevented it.

  Strength returned to the dark twin with every greedy swallow. As the struggles grew less and less, so did the flow of blood. Drayco released his hold on the lifeless body when the struggles ceased altogether.

  Shyanne tried not to listen to the slurping noises coming from the other side of the room. She knew what her brother was doing to the burly man. The eyes of the man in her grasp were wide with fear as she forced him to watch what happened to his partner. She could imagine what was running through his mind. She had almost been a victim of Drayco's need when it first reared its ugly head. The dream from her fevered state came back in a rush. Because of it, she actually felt sorry for the shifty-eyed man.

  She brought her head up to look at her brother when he stood, and released her grip on the injured man's head. Drayco's color was better, though he still looked pale. A small amount of blood ran down from the corner of his mouth. He left it there.

  Drayco walked toward the remaining man; nothing of the unsteadiness from earlier showed. He stopped a few paces short. “I hope you'll be more cooperative than your partner was, Moss."

  He looked up, his eyes still wide, and shook his head up and down.

  "Who is this Boss you two were talking about?"

  "I ... I ... I don't know."

  "Don't play games with me.” Drayco moved closer to the frightened man.

  Moss’ gaze went from the dark man's eyes, to Brom's blood in the corner of his mouth, and back. “I'm not! I really don't know who he is. We never met ‘em. All I know is that he contacts us through a messenger whenever he needs a job done."

  "Are you able to contact this messenger?"

  "I can, but it ain't easy. It's done by code."

  "If you value what's left of your life, you'll tell me what that code is and where I have to use it."

  "My life ain't worth much right now.” He closed his eyes and seemed to ponder his next thought. Opening them, he said to Drayco, “You know ... I never wanted to hurt you. I only wanted to get the girl and take her to the Boss.” A grimace of pain swept across his drawn face. It disappeared before he continued. “You have to go to a town far to the west of here called Grandfield. Find the inn. It's the only one there so you'll get the right one.” He started to say more, but a sharp intake of breath cut his words off. He held it for a second, then moaned as he let it out. “My legs hurt real bad."

  "Your legs are broken in several places and you're bleeding pretty heavily,” Shyanne told him.

  Moss looked down. Blood covered the skin surrounding the bone that was sticking out of the left thigh. The right one was at a weird angle. Large purple areas swelled through the torn breeches, showing bleeding under the skin. He paled even more and closed his eyes. A calmness settled over him.

  He asked, “I'm not gonna to make it, am I?"

  Shyanne shook her head no in response. Neither she nor her brother had the knowledge or equipment to treat wounds so severe in nature.

  He turned his head toward Drayco, a knowing look in his eyes, “I'll give you the code if you promise to make my passing as quick and painless as possible."

  Dra
yco nodded his head at the request. He understood what was wanted of him.

  Satisfied, he said, “You have to talk to the bartender. The code you have to say is, ‘The painted pony is prancing, but only in the morning.’ He'll follow with, ‘Have you traveled far on that painted pony?’ All you have to do is shake your head no and walk away.” A wave of agonizing pain rolled through him so hard he had to stop. Tears streamed down his face when he was finally able to go on. “Get a room and wait. The messenger will come,” he whispered. “He will lead you to the Boss."

  Shyanne gave his hand a squeeze. “Thank you."

  Moss smiled at her. “I know I've done some bad things in my life ... that I can never change. I only hope this makes up for some of ‘em.” He tilted his head back, exposing the neck. Shyanne closed her eyes and held Moss’ hand tight. Drayco took his cue. He leaned over and bit into the exposed neck, drinking the blood spurting out of the cut artery. In moments, it was over. He sat up when he finished, and wiped his mouth.

  "This man deserves a proper burial,” Shyanne said. “He may have done some bad things, but in the end, he made up for it."

  Drayco nodded his head in agreement. “I only hope the information he gave us is correct."

  "I think it is."

  "I hope so, for your sake."

  The dark twin made his way to the discarded packs and found his soft leather boots. After putting them on, he and Shyanne went outside and dug a shallow pit in the ground near the back of the building. Drayco brought Moss’ body outside and placed it within. They covered the grave with rocks and roof timber to prevent scavengers from digging it up once it was filled. The pair returned inside after a moment of silence. They dragged the burly man's body to the edge of the forest and left it near a pile of dried bones.

  Shyanne fetched the things hidden in the bushes prior to the incident and brought them inside. She put everything away and carried in some dirt to cover the blood on the floor. She did not want the scent to draw scavengers into the building. Her last encounter had almost cost her everything.